Trauma Made You Eat Like That

#cptsd #traumainformed #mentalillness
Many people with Complex PTSD struggle with food in ways that go far beyond dieting or willpower. Eating disorders often become survival strategies developed in response to trauma. When a person grows up in chaos, neglect, or abuse, the nervous system learns to regulate through control, restriction, or emotional numbing. Food can become the one thing that feels predictable in an unpredictable world. This is why people with CPTSD may binge, restrict, or obsess over eating patterns without realizing that these behaviors are attempts to create safety or self-soothing when the body feels threatened.

Trauma changes the brain’s stress response system. The amygdala becomes hypervigilant, the prefrontal cortex struggles to regulate impulses, and the body’s hunger and fullness cues are disrupted by chronic cortisol spikes. When you live in survival mode for years, your body may confuse hunger with danger. Restricting food can feel like control. Bingeing can feel like relief. Both are coping mechanisms driven by a dysregulated nervous system trying to find equilibrium.

Healing from CPTSD and eating disorders requires compassion, not shame. It involves learning how to reconnect with the body in safe and gentle ways. This means rebuilding a relationship with food based on nourishment, not punishment. It also means addressing the deeper emotional wounds that drive disordered eating, such as feeling unworthy, invisible, or unsafe in one’s own body. Recovery often includes therapies like trauma informed CBT, EMDR, or somatic experiencing to help rewire how the brain and body respond to stress.

It is important to understand that eating disorders are not about vanity or a lack of discipline. They are about survival. For many trauma survivors, the body was the original battleground. Food becomes the way to manage emotions that once felt overwhelming or dangerous to express. Healing happens when you begin to feel safe enough to listen to your body’s cues again, to eat without guilt, and to release the belief that control equals safety.

If you are struggling, know that this is not your fault. Your relationship with food makes sense in the context of what you have been through. With trauma informed care, body awareness, and consistent support, it is possible to recover and create a peaceful relationship with both food and your body. Healing from CPTSD means learning to trust your body again, one meal and one moment at a time.

#CPTSD #TraumaHealing #EatingDisorders #MentalHealthAwareness #Recovery

The information provided on this YouTube channel by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 17 years of experience is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or mental health advice. It is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, therapist, or other qualified mental health professional for any questions you may have regarding a medical or psychological condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have 1 watched on this channel. Reliance on any information provided on this channel is solely at your own risk. This channel does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are in crisis or think you may harm yourself or others, please call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.